Team icarusFinal Project Presentation
AJ Knapp, Kyle Marek-Spartz, Lucas Chowen, Max Sjöberg, Mike Hill
AEM 1905 – Nov. 24th 2009
Mission Overview
Mission Overview• Optical Experiment
• Ballooning as a cost effective alternative for Day-time astronomy• Video camera + shots to compare from the ground• Block cameras direct view of sun to attempt capture of coronal features
• Inertial Measurement Unit• IMU• Borrowed from Augsburg• Measures movement and rotational inertia• Test flight for the engineering of the unit
Mission Overview (cont.)
• Predictions• Optics
• Attempt to show that ballooning is a cost effective alternative
• Able to get good quality images of the sun
• Magnetometer• Altitude has a lot/a little/no substantial impact on the
magnetic field• Tracking and analyzing those, if any, changes
Team Organization
Team Organization: AJ Knapp
• Writing• Introduction, Payload Design
• Oral Presentation• Flight Readiness Review
• Payload Build• Box Build• Camera Experiment
• Launch Day• Photographer
Team Organization: Kyle Marek-Spartz
• Writing• Project Management, Payload Photos
• Oral Presentation• Conceptual Design Review
• Payload Build• Photographer• IMU
• Launch Day• Prediction/Tracking Assistant
Team Organization:Lucas Chowen
• Writing• Mission Overview, Expected Science Results
• Payload Build• Weather Station Build• HOBO (Payload “Health” Monitoring)
• Launch Day• Balloon Filling and Release assistant
Team Organization:Mike Hill
• Writing• Launch and Recovery, Conclusions
• Oral Presentation• Conceptual Design Review
• Payload Build• Flight Computer• Programmer
• Launch Day• Recovery Specialist
Team Organization:Max Sjöberg
• Writing• Project Budgets, Test Plan and Results
• Oral Presentations• Flight Readiness Review
• Payload Build• Team Lead
• Launch Day• Payload/Stack Handling Specialist
Design Overview
Design Overview: Material• White Foam Core w/ Black Foam cushion•Flip Video Camera•Inertial Measurement Unit
•Includes magnetometer•Strapping Tape
•Hinge•Epoxy and Hot glue•Heater circuit•Power Supplies•HOBO•Flight computer•Weather Station
Design Overview: Layout
ORIGINAL DESIGN LAYOUT
A: Flight ComputerB: HeaterC: Camera(changed to FLIP Video)D: BatteriesE: BatteryF: HOBOG: Magnetometer (changed to IMU)
Design Overview: Conceptual Diagram
StructureStructure
Flight Computer
Flight Computer
Weather Station
Weather Station
HOBOHOBO
Temperature Sensor
Temperature Sensor
Flip HD Video
Flip HD Video
Inertial Measurement Unit
Data LoggerData
LoggerAccelerometers +
GyrometersAccelerometers +
Gyrometers
HeaterHeater
PowerPower
PowerPowerPowerPower PowerPower
PowerPower
Design Overview: Construction
Finished Box w/ no components
Design Overview: ConstructionComponents inside payload
Attachment of Camera and Heater
Heater activation switch
Design Overview: Construction
Design Overview: Programming
• IMU• Pre-programmed• Read sensor data 10 times / sec• Write to data logger
• Flight Computer• Read sensor data every 15 seconds• Write to memory
Design Overview: BudgetsITEMS COST (in USD) MASS (in Kg)
White Foam Core 9.00 0.150
Miscellaneous (tape, etc) 5.00 0.050
Heater Circuit 5.00 0.027
Flight Computer 30.00 0.033
Weather Station 40.00 0.015
Compass Module 150.00 0.015
Flip Video Camera 170.00 0.175
HOBO 130.00 0.048
Battery: Heater 6.00 0.150
Battery: Flight Computer 2.00 0.046
TOTALS 546.00 0.710
DOES NOT INCLUDE IMU MASS
Design Overview: Art
Payload Pre-flight Testing
Testing• Drop Box
• Results were good• Sturdy construction
• Circuit tests• Connections were good, except one• That connection was fixed by Dr. Flaten
• Heater Test• Functions
• Camera Test• Operational
• IMU• Tested data recording capabilities• Passed
Additional Testing
• Cold soak test• Made sure that payload can handle extreme temperature• Passed
• Day-in-the-life Weather test• Attempt to alter weather station data to test function• Passed
• Yank Test• Make sure that the box stays together• Passed
Results of Testing
Our Payload was Ready to Go!(w/ few modifications)
Escape of the Zombicarus:… or Flight Day
Pre-Flight Checks
Filling the Balloon
Release
Flight Day
• Status of the payload after the recovery was basically the same. Minor scratches from the tree landing. Landed roughly 25-30 feet in the air in a tree. Retrieved with bolo.• Payload was still securely sealed and all the instruments seemed to be working inside.• Disconnected all batteries and turned off IMU
Science Results
Expected Science Results
• HOBO + Weather Station (WS)• Sensors:
• Internal temperature (HOBO)• External temperature (HOBO + WS)• Relative Humidity (HOBO) • Pressure (WS)
• These sensors will record data similar to Paul Verhage’s
Paul Verhage’s HOBO + WS data
Expected Science Results• Optical Experiment
• Solar Observation• Our hypothesis is:
• It will not be cost effective• It may produce quality images of the sun that may be difficult to recreate on ground• Whether or not we get a good glimpse of the sun is arguable
• IMU• Acceleration and movement tracking test• Our hypothesis:
• After launch there will be little change• Post-burst will be violent, and we will be able to track it through the IMU
In-Flight
Conclusions
• External Temperature vs. Time Temperature dropped to about -50 degrees
Celsius until about the 50 minute mark, then the payload entered part of the atmosphere where it started heating up to about -15 degrees Celsius, which at that point was close to burst, and following the burst the temperature rapidly fell to the lowest of the flight of -55 degrees Celsius.
Conclusions
• Relative Humidity vs. Altitude According the graph, as altitude increased, humidity decreased,
to as low at 5% around the 80,000 foot mark.
• Pressure vs. Altitude As altitude increases the pressure decreases
• Solar Observation: Did not exactly work, need a better way of blocking out the sun.
• IMU results will come later
Conclusions
• Change anything about payload to fly again?• Yes, better strategy to block out the sun with our HD video
camera to get better results.
• Project Successes: • Pumpkin design, which ultimately boosts morale of the team,
which in turn makes them happy, thus, makes them work better.
• Other successes: • Payload stayed intact, all instruments functioned properly.
• Final Project Successfulness: • Relatively successful
Words of Wisdom
• Don’t drink too much water on the chase, you never know when you are going to stop.
• Think BIG• If you assume, you make an a** out of “u”
and “me”• If you think it might be cold, then it probably
will be
Thank You to the Following
• Thanks to the rest of our class for providing a forum for bouncing around ideas
• Thanks to our TAs, Amy and Phillip for assisting the construction
• Thanks to Chris from Augsburg for helping with the IMU
• Thanks to Professor Flaten for guiding us during these past few months